Rumors and Wolves
by UniqueAsterisk
Summary: While attempting to reach her father, Belle is attacked by wolves. Can Rumpelstiltskin reach her in time? (Contribution to Rumbelle Secret Santa.)


**Author Notes: This is my "Rumbelle Secret Santa" gift for the lovely yourauburngirl on Tumblr. Her prompt was "Belle in trouble, Rumple frantic," and somehow that evolved into this. I hope you all enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time. It belongs to ABC, as well as Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.**

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><p><strong>Rumors and Wolves<strong>

At one point, she tried to run away. After the Robin Hood incident, after he let her out of the dungeon and into her own library, and _after_ she'd fallen off a ladder and into his arms – after all of that, she'd tried to run away.

Not out of fear of him or anger at the things he'd done, she was far too brave for that.

She escaped not to get _away_ from him, but to get _to_ her father.

During one of Rumpelstiltskin's many deals, a knight who came to the Dark One in search of some dangerous magical object had made a comment about how Avalon, Belle's homeland, was supposedly doing quite badly. After he finished the transaction and scryed Belle's kingdom through a magic mirror, Rumpel came to the conclusion that it was nothing but hearsay and old news. He'd ended the Ogre Wars when he struck his deal for Belle and taken his price. And beyond the entire kingdom being in half-mourning for their precious princess, there had been no real disturbance in their everyday lives since the last time he'd been there.

But Belle, who was always hovering close by during his deals – listening in, hearing the news, learning what she could about the world beyond the castle walls – had heard these rumors and feared the worst.

She escaped in the night, and he was never able to figure out exactly how she snuck through the halls so silently without tripping any of his magical alarms, but he woke with a start when the heavy front door of the castle slammed shut.

He knew something was wrong before he got out of bed, but once he looked out his window and saw a small figure in a familiar cloak fleeing from the castle he knew what had happened.

His blood ran cold as he watched her petite silhouette running toward the Dark Forest.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed, slamming a fist against the window frame. He couldn't blame her for wanting to get away from him, but that forest was filled with all manner of monstrous things. They avoided him and stayed clear of the castle out of fear of his power. But a lone girl in the middle of the night? She'd be an easy meal no matter how brave or clever she was. They'd tear her apart without a second thought.

As he saw her pass the outskirts of the forest and disappear into the shadows, he sprung into action. A flick of his wrist and he was dressed in his usual finery of leather and dragon skin. Another twirl of his hand and he was standing among the ominous trees of the Dark Forest.

Now all he had to do was find her before some other monster did.

She had to help her father. Whatever was happening, she had to be there to support and advise him. That was the only thought in her head, the only reason she'd left the safety of Rumpelstiltskin's castle.

What she hadn't counted on, though, was getting lost in the woods.

Every tree blended into the next under the light of the full moon, and after a few minutes of running, she'd gotten completely turned around.

She wasn't too worried at first. She'd figure it out. She always did. She wasn't afraid.

Until the howling started.

She stopped pacing and backtracking and looking for well-worn footpaths, and started _running_.

Her feet pounded against the ground, snapping twigs and crushing leaves as she went.

She'd intended to head in the opposite direction of the noise, but soon the call grew louder, emanating from every direction. Not just one wolf, a whole pack, and they were coming closer, already proclaiming their victory as they ran toward her.

She should have planned better, she thought as she continued forward. She should have taken a horse or stolen one of Rumpel's magical artifacts to help her on her journey.

Or maybe she just shouldn't have run away in the first place. Maybe she should have just stayed in her tower, with her tea and her books, and let her father fend for himself. But she was running, and she couldn't turn back, not now.

But, oh gods, the wolves were getting closer. She could hear their big paws thundering across the forest floor as they bounded toward her. And then suddenly, one of the creatures came into view directly in front of her, only a few yards away, its eyes blazing and its teeth dripping with saliva.

She came to a sudden halt and stepped back at the wolf's unexpected appearance. She stumbled and fell backward to the ground, her eyes still locked on the creature's powerful form. She felt her bones ache at the shock of hitting the dirt and her palms stung from where they skidded across small rocks and sharp twigs. But she could feel the other canines encroaching on her as well. They began to circle her, penning her in.

This was how she was going to die, torn apart by wolves as she tried to reach her father.

She tried to remember what she knew about wolves and came up with over a dozen random facts, none of which would help her now. She tried to stay strong and stare them down, but it's hard to look intimidating when you're splayed out on the ground, vulnerable and afraid. So, she sent out a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening. She always wanted to be a hero – to save herself – but right in that moment, she needed a bit of help.

Her answer came in the form of a scaly sorcerer, who appeared with a puff of smoke between her and the wolves.

"Away!" he shouted, angry and intense, sending out a blast of magic with a sweep of his arm.

Most of the wolves took a step back, growling low in their throats. But one member of the pack, who looked younger than rest, sprung forward, attempting to pounce on Belle while her protector was distracted.

Belle flinched backward, pressing herself even closer against the ground as she held one arm up in front of her face. But before the wolf could strike, Rumpelstiltskin wheeled on the creature, knocking it out f the air with his magic.

As the beast crashed to the ground with a thud and a whimper, the Dark One growled lower and fiercer than any wolf. And though she couldn't quite be sure, she thought she heard him snarl out the word, "Mine."

The wolves still hesitated, wary of the wizard, but also unwilling to abandon a delicious meal even in the face of dangerous magic.

"Away!" Rumpelstiltskin roared again, sending another wave of magical energy toward the pack.

They scattered, running back into the trees, the younger one limping along behind them, whining all the while. Once they were out of sight, Rumpel turned to her, the anger in his eyes fading away to be replaced by an emotion that Belle could only describe as panic. Fear and desperation were both etched across his face in equal measures.

"Are you alright?" he asked suddenly, kneeling down beside her and glancing over her face and body, looking for any signs of harm, "Did any of them bite you? Scratch you?"

"No!" she answered quickly, "They got close, but you came to my rescue before they could do anything."

"You're not hurt?" he reiterated, still looking concerned.

"No," she shook her head, "I scraped my hands when I fell, but other than that, I'm fine. They didn't touch me."

She held out her hands for him to see. Her palms were bleeding, laced with cuts and dusted with gravel. To Belle, it was nothing, just a minor inconvenience that she could let heal once she'd rinsed the blood away. But Rumpelstiltskin didn't like seeing her bleed. He didn't like the idea that she might be in pain, however slight. So, he reached out. He wrapped his fingers around one of her wrists and waved his other hands over her palms. The cuts disappeared, replaced by smooth, pale skin again.

"There," he said, attempting nonchalance as he held both her wrists in his hands, "Good as new."

"Thank you," she whispered. A silence fell between them as their gazes locked.

"Why did you follow me?" Belle asked suddenly, still looking him in the eye, in no way put off by his hands touching hers.

"You could have been killed," Rumpel replied, trying to focus on her face rather than how close she was to him. (This backfired, however, as he found himself staring at her mesmerizingly beautiful, bright eyes. They were impossibly blue, even in the pale light of the forest.)

"But why do you care?" she asked with a smile and a slight laugh.

"I just…" his voice faded as he suddenly released her wrists and got to his feet, "I don't like when… when my property gets damaged."

"Is that all?" she replied, lifting an eyebrow and smirking at him as she stood up as well, "You chased after me because I'm your property? Not because you were _worried_?"

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes widened at the accusation. His maid had always been forward, but this little joke of hers was a bit to close to the truth. She was almost eaten alive by wolves only moments before and now here she was flirting with the all powerful Dark One. Rumpel still couldn't wrap his head around this girl. So, instead of trying to decipher the puzzles hidden in her beautiful eyes, he decided to change the subject.

"In this case, my motives don't matter," he said, "Yours, however, do. Why did you run away?"

"My father," she answered, "I heard he was in danger. I had to help! I had to –"

"Break our deal?" he cut her off, only half-teasing, "Because that's what you were doing, lass. You can't leave. You promised me forever."

"And you promised me my family and friends would live and be safe," she countered, "If anything happened to my father, then _you'd_ be the one breaking our deal, not me. I'd have every right to leave."

"But I've kept my end of the bargain. You're father safe, your friends are alive, and your kingdom is secure. Whatever ridiculous rumors you heard are just that – rumors."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because when I heard them, the same way you did, from that knight I was bargaining with the other day, I made sure to check that it was all just idle gossip."

"How?" she asked, ever the curious mind.

"A magic mirror. Shows me whatever I want to see, anywhere in the world. How do you think I always know what's going on?"

"Well, you _can_ see the future," she teased, "So, I assumed that had something to do with it. But I guess a magic mirror helps, too."

"That it does."

She smiled at him then. Sweet and beautiful and brilliant.

"Thank you for saving me," she beamed, "I appreciate you not letting me die."

"Well," he replied, trying not to stumble over the words, "You promised me forever, and I don't break my deals. So, I'd appreciate you not running off again."

She laughed, "I'll try not to."

"Now, how 'bout we get out of this forest," he offered his hand to her. She took it gently and without complaint. He didn't need to be in contact with her to transport them back to the Dark Castle, but any opportunity to be closer to Belle, even if only for a short time, was one he would take.

"Let's go home," she said, taking a step closer, her hand still clasped in his.

With the word 'home' and all that it implied still echoing through his mind, Rumpelstiltskin cast his spell, and he and Belle disappeared from among the trees in a swirl of purple smoke.

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><p><strong>Author Notes: So, what did you think? Don't forget to let me know! Reviews are, as always, very much appreciated.<strong>


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